DOK Alignment Tool for Science Teachers
Science assessments frequently test whether students can recall vocabulary and reproduce procedures rather than whether they can reason scientifically. The DOK Alignment Tool gives a sheet for sorting every science assessment item by Webb's Depth of Knowledge, and you can read its levels for science as: DOK 1 (recall definitions, identify components), DOK 2 (interpret data, apply a concept to a new observation), DOK 3 (design an investigation, reason about cause and effect, explain a mechanism), DOK 4 (synthesize evidence across multiple sources, evaluate competing models). You can check items against Science and Engineering Practices yourself.
This page fills in a draft from a template. Copy prompt gives you the prompt for any AI chat.
- Any science topic you paste
- 6 disciplines
How teachers use this for science teachers
Biology unit test audit
Classify genetics or ecology unit test items by DOK level to confirm students must reason about biological mechanisms, not just recall definitions and reproduction of diagrams.
Lab practical assessment
Evaluate data analysis and conclusion questions from a lab practical by DOK level, interpreting data is DOK 2; drawing a conclusion and identifying sources of error is DOK 3.
Chemistry conceptual assessment
Audit stoichiometry and equilibrium assessments to distinguish formula application (DOK 1-2) from conceptual reasoning about why reactions proceed in specific ways (DOK 3).
Physics problem set review
Check that physics assessments include reasoning about non-routine scenarios (DOK 3) alongside standard formula application problems (DOK 1-2).
NGSS three-dimensional assessment
Verify that assessments address Science and Engineering Practices at appropriate DOK levels, using evidence is DOK 3; identifying evidence is DOK 2.
AP science exam alignment
Compare your classroom assessment's DOK counts with what you know of AP Biology, AP Chemistry, or AP Physics exams, to help prepare students for the reasoning-heavy free-response section.
- No student accounts.
- No ads.
- Data-processing agreement on request.
What this page does here
This page builds a draft from a template on this device. Copy prompt gives you the prompt for any AI chat.
Questions teachers ask
What does DOK 3 look like in a science assessment?
DOK 3 in science involves reasoning from evidence, not just reading a graph, but explaining what the data shows and why it supports a particular conclusion. Designing an investigation to test a hypothesis is DOK 3. Explaining a biological mechanism using causal language ('when X increases, Y decreases because...') is DOK 3. Evaluating two competing explanations for an observation using evidence is DOK 3. Many NGSS science practices ask for DOK 3 thinking.
How does DOK apply to NGSS three-dimensional learning?
NGSS requires students to use Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs), apply Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs), and connect Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs), simultaneously. Most SEPs require DOK 2 or 3 cognitive demand: analyzing data (DOK 2), constructing explanations (DOK 3), designing solutions (DOK 3-4). An assessment that only tests DCIs at DOK 1 (recall) does not assess three-dimensional learning even if it covers the right content.
Can I use this to evaluate lab report rubrics?
Yes. Paste the rubric criteria for your lab report and the AI classifies each criterion by DOK level. A lab report criterion that rewards restating the procedure (DOK 1) versus one that rewards analyzing unexpected results and proposing explanations (DOK 3) represents a significant difference in cognitive demand. The sheet helps you see whether your lab report rubric is rewarding thinking or transcription.
What is a good DOK distribution for a middle school science unit test?
A balanced middle school science unit test might mix some DOK 1 (recall terms, identify structures), a good share of DOK 2 (interpret diagrams, apply concepts, classify observations) and DOK 3 (reason about cause and effect, design a simple test, explain a mechanism with evidence), and a little DOK 4 (extended investigation design or multi-text synthesis). Many NGSS middle school practices ask for DOK 3 thinking.
How do I raise a DOK 1 vocabulary question to DOK 3 in science?
A typical upgrade: DOK 1: 'Define photosynthesis.' DOK 2: 'A plant is placed in a dark room for 72 hours. Predict what happens to its glucose levels and explain your prediction using photosynthesis.' DOK 3: 'A student claims plants lose mass overnight. Using your understanding of photosynthesis and cellular respiration, evaluate this claim with evidence.' The content is the same; the cognitive demand is completely different.
Related tools
AI with your school's own student and course data is part of OpenEduCat.
Book a demoCounted per page. Report a problem for bugs.